So no one actually yells GOOOOOAAALLLL during American soccer games, but last night I went with some friends to see the New York Red Bulls play. Man, was it fun! Took me back to the years in elementary school when my mom forced me to be physically active and join the travel soccer team. Never a great runner, I just tried to shuffle my way down the field and not ever have possession of the ball. If I did, I’d just kick it to someone else. Pretty sure I never scored a goal, ever. I was always very much a team player though. If I could get the ball away from me and to another person who happened to score, then we were all winners.

Back to last night. My friends and I take the PATH train over to the stadium. It was a big night for me. First time taking the PATH and first time at a professional soccer game. I felt accomplished as well as Puerto Rican. I also felt thirsty, so when we got there, we got a few beers and sat in our AMAZING seats. It was such a cool stadium! Turns out, soccer fans are crazy and we were sitting next to a section of the craziest of crazies. Jason masks, tattoos, cut off tees, beer guts, you name it. The section right behind the goal is where the insane fans sit, rather stand the whole game and cheer, sing, wave flags and drunkenly slur for the entirety of the game.

This was the most grass I’ve seen in a long time. The game wasn’t looking so good, tied 1-1, until there was less than a minute left and then WE SCORED! I was like AAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh and everyone else was like aaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH and the whole stadium blew up (not literally) and all the crazy fans were freaking out, screaming and playing the tuba and my friend was spilling his beer all over us and as my skin glistened with Coors Light, I thought, this is what it must feel like to be a winner.